'To Catch a Thief' - any reviews yet ? (1 Viewer)

[DeeF]

To me, it all comes down to whether or not the technical problems are distracting. I enjoyed the DVD of Rear Window, which I had recently seen in the movie theater, via Mr. Harris's restoration.

I've never seen To Catch A Thief in the theater. By the way, maybe the 35mm version of To Catch A Thief was 1.85:1, I mean, shown that way originally in many theaters. It was about the time that VistaVision was switching over, wasn't it?

It would be nice to have the original, but, oh well, I guess we'll have to wait for HD-DVD.

 

[Kajs]

Does anyone know why the distribution rights for this movie are still with Paramount, unlike most of the Hitchcock Paramount titles that are currently controlled by Universal?

 

[Dave F]

Wasn't it a year or two ago that it was stated this title was on hold so that a restoration could be undertaken? I guess they decided to go out for lunch instead & release it anyway. :/

-Dave

 

[Patrick McCart]

VistaVision negatives are 1.55:1. The normal 35mm reduction prints are 1.66:1, but can be matted from 1.66:1 to 1.96:1 without a problem.

However, 1.85:1 is the "golden" ratio for many VistaVision films.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

This is a major bummer
Well, I hope Paramount doesn't drop the ball on Sunset Boulevard and Roman Holiday.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The delay in both Sunset Boulevard and Roman Holiday were announced several weeks ago as early as August. I will have my copies of Houseboat and To Catch a Thief on Friday. Of course, the first scene I will be paying great attention is that scene with Cary Grant and that kicking shirt of his.
Crawdaddy

 

[Scott Shanks]

Danielle's skirt that she hikes up on the boat is another area I will check out first.

 

[Michael Martin]

While I am quite disappointed in PHV's refusal to do a top-notch transfer, I am still going to buy this (or at least put it on my Christmas list).

Even if it's not any better than the VHS version, at least it's not worse, it won't degrade with repeated viewings, and it has a few extras on it.

I realize "settling" is heresy for some of the HTF members, but this is one of my favorite films, and I've held off buying the VHS version for too long to let this go.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Even if it's not any better than the VHS version, at least it's not worse, it won't degrade with repeated viewings, and it has a few extras on it.

It is better than the VHS. To start with, it's not pan and scan. And the extras, totaling about 45 minutes, are worthwhile. I loved the featurette on Edith Head.

 

[Mark Anthony]

This is very disappointing, especially given what could have been. I really don't understand what has gone wrong and if Paramount did use the same '99 master - why was this disc delayed for "restoration" which appears to have not taken place?

I can only hope that if HD-DVD takes off, then Paramount will see this as a priority title to get right then, given the status of this film and that it's Paramount's only Hitchcock I'm saddened that this is what they feel is acceptable.

If Criterion, Warner and Universal can be bothered to use original source materials for their superb Hitchcock transfer's, why couldn't Paramount?

M

 

[Nelson Au]

I look forward to retiring my PHV laserdisc which is pan and scan and from a faded source! Can anyone post a comparison if they have both the DVD and LD of "Thief" in their hands? I guess I will next Tuesday.

Nelson

 

[Randy A Salas]

If Criterion, Warner and Universal can be bothered to use original source materials for their superb Hitchcock transfer's, why couldn't Paramount?

Criterion's Notorious DVD uses a print that has reel-change marks. Surely, that's a theatrical print and not original source materials, right?
(And, why, in this age of Photoshop cloning, can't reel-change marks be unnoticeably "filled in" when such prints are used? It doesn't sound like a big expense.)

 

[Eujin]

Well this just sucks. BIG TIME. If this disc looks barely better than VHS, then it's going to look absolutely awful for us front projection types. This is one of my favorite movies ever, and I've been holding off getting it in any form, in the hope that I'll be able to see it again in fully restored glory. I think I'll survive on a diet of fond memories for now and pass.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Criterion's Notorious DVD uses a print that has reel-change marks. Surely, that's a theatrical print and not original source materials, right?

This was a very complicated "restoration" for the digital domain, and Criterion selected from a variety of existing elements, to wit "The picture for Notorious was restored and preserved from the original 35mm nitrate camera negative, a 35mm nitrate fine-grain master, and a 35mm nitrate copyright print. A newly printed 35mm fine-grain master, and the 35mm nitrate fine-grain master for Reels 4A and 5B, were used for the digital film-to-tape transfer."

 

[Rain]

And, why, in this age of Photoshop cloning, can't reel-change marks be unnoticeably "filled in" when such prints are used? It doesn't sound like a big expense.

It can be done, as it was with Criterion's DVD of The Third Man, but I believe it is more difficult than you think and perhaps not practical in all cases.
The DVD of Notorious is beautiful, reel marks, grain and all.

 

[DeeF]

Black Narcissus has those reel marks, which we used to call cigarette burns.

They are pink!

 

[Robert Harris]

Cue marks are built into early Eastmancolor Original negatives,
later Eastman dupe negs and original Technicolor three strip negatives.

The cue marks one sees on Notorious were probably built into a dupe negative, if not the original.

RAH

 

[Eujin]

Cue marks are built into early Eastmancolor Original negatives,
later Eastman dupe negs and original Technicolor three strip negatives.

Ah...to me, cue marks just add to the illusion that I'm watching film at home!

 

[Matt Lucas]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this---there's a review online at DVDreview.com. It's a more positive than what I've read in this thread, though certainly not glowing.
http://www.dvdreview.com/fullreviews..._a_thief.shtml
mattl

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

which we used to call cigarette burns.

Who's we ? I've been in theatres and projection since 1979 and have *never* heard that term used. It only started being used after Fight Club made it up. They are called "changeover cues" or "cue marks" or "reel change marks". The first set is the "motor start" and the second is the "open & close shutter".
I like seeing them on some films on DVD - it adds to the illusion that it's a film playing.